XML-based textual specification for rich-media content creation-systems and program products

ABSTRACT

Video, stills, panorama, sound and all forms of media as Rich Media in a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file editable with a Rich Media Content description file. The Rich Media Content description file enables users to specify a vocabulary that defines the media elements and relations among the media elements thereby permitting the users to easily create and edit the Rich Media Content and compose various raw or compressed Rich Media components using any text editor. A multimedia authoring server side processor accepts the raw formatted Rich Media Content along with description text file in XML format and outputs the Rich Media, text and graphic components as an edited MVR file in accordance with user&#39;s design for execution on a multimedia player.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.09/727,524 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,376,932 filed on Dec. 4, 2000, which isrelated to Pat. Application Publication No. US 2002/0069217 entitled,“Automatic Multi-Stage Rich-Media Content Creation Using a FrameworkBased Digital Workflow—Systems, Methods and Program Products,” alsofiled Dec. 4, 2000. Both disclosures are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a multi-media content creation systems,methods and program products. More particularly, the invention relatesto textual based authoring systems, methods and program products forcreating and managing editable Rich Media Content for application inebusiness.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ser. No. 09/268,537 entitled “Framework for Progressive Hierarchical andAdaptive Delivery of Rich Media Presentations and Associated Meta,”filed Mar. 12, 1999 (SE9-98-030), assigned to the assignee as that ofpresent invention and fully incorporated herein by reference, describesa single, easy to use authoring environment, known as HotMedia, forincorporating Rich Media in an ebusiness application. HotMedia lets anauthor create Rich Media Content, such as video, streaming audiosynchronized with images, 3D, animations, panoramas in a single filethat can be easily added to a web page. For fast delivery of Rich MediaContent on a network, the data contained in a Rich Media file must be ina binary format. However, with a binary format, it is difficult for endusers to understand the file structure, add new content or modify thecontent stored in the file outside the authoring tool. The binaryspecification also restricts data interchange among applications; openformats and definitions for expansion, and third party tool development.What is needed in the art is a straightforward and easy to understandmeans of creating and managing Rich Media Content for e-businessapplications. More specifically, a Rich Media Content creation systemand method should include an authoring tool having a vocabulary thatdefines a media element and specifies the relations between mediaelement; easily created and editable file contents, and enable variousraw or compressed media components to be composed using any text editor.The file created by the authoring tool should be ideal for scripting;third party tools; expressing authoring templates; automatic and networkauthoring processes; multi-stage flow authoring and easy injection ofnon media (business) information into the file.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is a system, method, and program product forcreating and managing Rich Media Content for web and other applicationsin a single, easy to use authoring environment.

Another object is a system, method and program product for creating andmanaging an editable Multi Media Vehicle Repository (MVR) file of RichMedia Content in a binary format. Another object is a system, method andprogram product creating textual representation of an MVR file using anExtended Markup Language (XML) format.

Another object is a system, method and program product for creating anXML based MVR file (MVR-XML) file using any available textual editingtool.

Another object is a system, method and program product for combining rawmedia data in an MVR-XML file as a form of data interchange among otherRich Media Contents.

These and other objects, features and advantages are achieved bycombining video, stills, panorama, sound and all forms of media as RichMedia in a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file editable with a RichMedia Content description file. The Rich Media Content description fileenables users to specify a vocabulary that defines the media elementsand relations among the media elements thereby permitting the users toeasily create and edit the Rich Media Content and compose various raw orcompressed Rich Media components using any text editor. A multimediaauthoring server side processor accepts the raw formatted Rich MediaContent along with a description text file in XML format and outputs theRich Media, text and graphic components as an MVR-XML file in accordancewith user's design for execution on a multimedia player. The MVR-XMLfile may be readily altered by modifying the textual specification forthe file using any text editor and authoring tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further understood from the following detaileddescription of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with anappended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a representation of a server based system including anauthoring tool for creating an XML based textual specification for RichMedia Content as a Multimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR) file in a binaryformat and incorporating the principals of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a representation of a streaming media frame for raw mediaassets incorporated into an MVR file in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a representation of the network-based server in the system ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram for creating the MVR file of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, a system 10 receives Rich Media assets 12, typically video,film, sound, panorama, stills or any form of multimedia in a streamingdigital format and stores the assets in an authoring server 14 as aMultimedia Vehicle Repository (MVR). The Rich Media assets are stored inthe MVR in an uneditable form for conversion into an editable sequencefor various applications, e.g. film, advertisement, presentation orother application based upon a textual specification.

In one embodiment, the textual specification may be prepared using anExtended Markup Language (XML) for describing the combination of RichMedia assets as an application. XML is a set of rules, guidelines andconventions for designing text formats for binary data in a way thatproduces files that are unambiguous, easy to generate and read by acomputer. The guidelines avoid common pitfalls such as lack ofextensibility, lack of support for Internet/nationalization and platformdependency. XML is a W3C standard, published February 1998.

In FIG. 2, the streaming media assets 12 are transmitted from a mediasource 13 to a server 16 in a framework including a file header frame22, a thumbnail frame 24, a meta frame 26, a media frame 28 and an endof sequence frame 30. The header frame 22 includes a frame header whichprovides information about the frame size types, flags and frame level.The header frame also includes media information containing definitionon different media tracks that may be contained in the file. For generalinformation, the header frame provides the class name of the code thatrenders immediate type on the client station.

The thumbnail frame 24 carries a minimalist representation of theinformation in the framework. For example, if the information carried inthe file were a description of merchandize the thumbnail would carry asingle image. Thumbnail frame is made possible providing the user aquick introduction to the subject with minimal code and data transfer.The thumbnail frame will also carry parameters producing image pan andanimation effects on a single image. A meta frame 26 carriesspecification of non-media specific information pertaining to enablementof hyperlink actions of media contents and tracking of mediainteraction.

Media frames 28 include a frame header and in addition contain mediabitstreams initialization data, behavior data and code. The behaviordata or initialization data defines the behavior in configuration of acorresponding media player. Media bitstreams data belong to a particularmedia track and can be carried over multiple frames and these frames canbe interleaved with meta frames and frames that belong to other mediatracks. Media frames are identified by frame type and track identifier.A frame type and track identifier enables true multiplex delivery forstatic or dynamic proportioning of various media tracks over limitedbandwidth. Media frames can also contain codes that render a media typeon the client station. The code in turn can be physically present orcould be a URL reference. When present, the code is separated from thefile on the server side and thereafter the code data can be madeavailable for on-demand delivery. In the case of a URL reference tocode, the code is sent from a remote HTTP server to be similarly madeavailable on demand.

The end of sequence frame 30 contains a frame header and has a markerthat signals the end of the entire presentation associated with thefile.

The framework is further described in Ser. No. 09/268,537, supra.

In FIG. 3, the server 16, typically an IBM Apache web server, is linkedthrough a network to other content creation stations. An authoringGraphical User Interface (GUI) 31 interacts with a kernel library 32,compression/decompression library 33, and processor programs 34including an XML interpreter 35, a content manager 36, and a multithreaded re-entrant data link library 37. The processor programs 34interact with a script/batch tool 38. The kernel library includes aserver side MVR authoring tool which takes an XML specification alongwith raw media data or compressed media data as input to create acorresponding MVR-XML file. The codec library provides compression anddecompression for the MVR-XML file. The script/batch tool 38 takes atemplate file prepared by an author and fills the template with actualdata length provided the user to create the MVR-XML file. The serviceside content injection program 36 allows the user to add moreinformation including non-media (business) to the MVR-XML file. Themulti-threaded, re-entrant data link library 37 enables an authoringsession manager to multiplex creators/users linked through the networkto access the MVR files on the server 14.

An authoring program combines an XML text file and an MVR file as acomposed MVR file available for execution on a multimedia player. Theprogram parses and renders XML instructions or tags contained within theXML text edited document. The instructions link the stored Rich Mediaassets as an application in the MVR file according to the textualspecification prepared by a content creator.

Returning to FIG. 1, a text editing station 27 enables a content creator29 to download the MVR file of Rich Media assets or an XML based MVRfile (MVR-XML) from the server 14. Using any standard text editor, thecontent creator prepares an XML based textual specification and sendsthe specification to the server 14 along with the raw media assets orMVR files. The authoring program at server 14 combines the XML textdescription file and raw media assets or MVR file to generate a newMVR-XML file, as an application according to the content creator'sdesires.

Alternatively, a standard graphical authoring tool 37 may be used by acontent creator 39 to assemble and edit the Rich Media assets into anMVR file and return to the server 14. The graphically edited MVR filecan be translated into an XML text file or specification by the XMLprogram stored in the server 14.

Another content creation station 50 may also download the MVR-XML filefrom the server 14 for re-editing of the XML text file and composinginto another MVR-XML file by the authoring program either in the server14 or in the server 50. A client station 52 enables a user 54 to accessthe server 14 and view a composed MVR-XML file.

In FIG. 4, a process 400 is described in conjunction with FIGS. 1, 2 and3 for creating an XML based MVR file, as follows:

Step 1: An authoring server 14 is activated to load and store anoperating system, an XML program and an authoring or batch processingprogram.

Step 2: Rich Media assets 12, i.e. video, stills, sound, etc. aretransmitted in digital format and composed and stored in the server asan MVR file.

Step 3: A text editing station 27 retrieves the MVR file from the server14 and a content creator 29 using a standard editing tool prepares anXML specification for composing the MVR file into an application.

Step 4: The content creator 29 returns the MVR file and XML textspecification to the server 14.

Step 5: The server 14 executes the authoring program and combines theXML specification and MVR file into a composed MVR-XML file as anapplication according to the XML text specification created by thecontent creator 29.

Step 6: A graphics authoring station 37 downloads the Rich Media assetsand using a standard graphics authoring tool creates a composed MVR filefor return to the server 14.

Step 7: The server 14 using the XML program creates an XML specificationfor the graphically edited MVR file.

Step 8: The text or graphically edited MVR-XML file may be transmittedto another content creation station 50 for creating a modified XMLspecification and a new MVR-XML file when the modified XML specificationand MVR-XML file are processed by an authoring tool in the server 14 or50.

Step 9: The MVR-XML file is available for modification in stages byother content creator stations creating a modified XML textspecification for the MVR-XML file and processing by an authoring tool.

The invention has been described in a preferred embodiment. Variouschanges can be made in the embodiment without departing from the spiritand scope of invention, as defined in the appended claims, in which:

1. An authoring system for creating text based diverse rich media,comprising: a memory; a processor communicatively coupled to the memory;and an authoring tool communicatively coupled to the memory and theprocessor, wherein the authoring tool is configured to perform a methodcomprising: assembling a plurality of diverse rich media as a combinedmultimedia vehicle repository (MVR) file; automatically generating afirst XML-based textual specification comprising a user-specifiedvocabulary that defines one or more of the plurality of diverse richmedia and relationships between two or more of the plurality of diverserich media; combining the MVR file and the first XML-based textualspecification in accordance with the user-specified vocabulary to createa composed MVR file for execution on a multimedia player, wherein thecomposed MVR file is combined with at least one of an additionalXML-based textual specification and an additional graphical edit of theplurality of diverse rich media content; and storing at least thecomposed MVR file for access by one or more content creators.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a batch processing programrunning on the processor for combining the combined MVR file and thefirst XML-based textual specification as an edited MVR file.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1 further comprising: an XML program running in theprocessor for translating descriptive text in combining the MVR file andthe first XML-based textual specification.
 4. An article of manufacturefor processing diverse rich media content, comprising a machine storagemedium containing one or more programs which when executed implement thesteps of: combining a plurality of diverse rich media content into asingle multimedia content file as a first input to an authoring tool;creating a first XML-based textual specification for use as a secondinput to the authoring tool, wherein the first XML-based textualspecification comprises a user-specified vocabulary that defines one ormore of the plurality of diverse rich media content and relationshipsbetween two or more of the plurality of diverse rich media content;combining the single multimedia content file and the first XML-basedtextual specification in accordance with the user-specified vocabularyand using the authoring tool to create a composed multimedia contentfile for execution on a multimedia player, wherein the composedmultimedia content file is combined with at least one of an additionalXML-based textual specification and an additional graphical edit of theplurality of diverse rich media content; and storing at least thecomposed multimedia content file for access by one or more contentcreators.
 5. The article of manufacture of claim 4 further comprising:enabling an editing of at least one of the first and additionalXML-based textual specification by a user using a text editor.
 6. Thearticle of manufacture of claim 4 further comprising: a batch processingprogram for combining the first XML-based textual specification and thesingle multimedia content file.
 7. The article of manufacture of claim 4further comprising: transmitting the plurality of diverse rich mediacontent as a streaming digital file.
 8. The article of manufacture ofclaim 4 further comprising: downloading the composed multimedia contentfile for display to a user in an ebusiness application.
 9. The articleof manufacture of claim 7 further comprising: generating the streamingdigital file as a sequence of frames.
 10. The article of manufacture ofclaim 7 further comprises: generating the streaming digital file as abinary file in a HotMedia format.
 11. An method for creating text baseddiverse rich media, comprising: combining a plurality of diverse richmedia content into a single multimedia content file as a first input toan authoring tool; automatically generating a first XML-based textualspecification comprising a user-specified vocabulary that defines one ormore of the plurality of diverse rich media and relationships betweentwo or more of the plurality of diverse rich media; combining the singlemultimedia content file and the first XML-based textual specification inaccordance with the user-specified vocabulary to create a composedmultimedia content file for execution on a multimedia player, whereinthe composed multimedia content file is combined with at least one of anadditional XML-based textual specification and an additional graphicaledit of the plurality of diverse rich media content; and storing atleast the composed multimedia content file for access by one or morecontent creators.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:enabling an editing of at least one of the first and additionalXML-based textual specification by a user using a text editor.
 13. Themethod of claim 11, further comprising: downloading the composedmultimedia content file for display to a user in an ebusinessapplication.
 14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:transmitting the plurality of diverse rich media content as a streamingdigital file.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: generatingthe streaming digital file as a sequence of frames.
 16. The method ofclaim 14, further comprising: generating the streaming digital file as abinary file in a HotMedia format.